Flush receptacle.



C. J. KLEIN.

FLUSH RECEPTACLE.

APPLICATION FlLED JAN. 18. 1915.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

UNITED. STATES PATENT? OFFICE.

CHABLES J. KLEIN, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR '10 THE CUTLI EB HAMMER MFG. CO., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

FLUSH nncnr'rnonn.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pzit'ented Dec. 24, 1918.

Application flied January 18. 1915. Serial 1103.899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. KLEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and.

Another object is to provide an'improved closure for the face cles.

Other objects and advanta es will appear hereinafter in connection wit of the accompanying drawing which illus trates a preferred embodiment of the inven tion'. a

. In the drawing,

plates of such recepta- Figure 1 is an elevational view of a flush receptacle and attachment plug therefor. f

Fig. 2 is a central sectional view'there'of with the plug inserted in the receptacle.

Fig. 3 1s a plan view of'a closure for the receptacle face plate.

Flg. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4r-4'. of Fig. 3. v V

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of thereceptacle. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the receptacle contacts, and

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the plug. The'device illustrated comprises, in general, an insulating casing or base 1 which houses suitable contact terminals 2-and 3 plug.

. rectangular and provided with a' central Referring more specifically to the draw-.'

ing, the casing 1 is shown as substantially recess divided into two semi-c lindrical compartments 9 and 10 separated y a bar;

a description.

rier wall 11 preferably integral with the moldedv insulation of the casing. The receptaclecontacts 2, 3 are snugly seated in said recesses and are maintained therein by securing screws 12 which penetrate the bot tom wall of the casing and electrically connect said contacts and conducting strips 13.

The later are in turn secured to the base b screws let which also penetrate the base an take into conducting strips 15 arranged at, diagonally opposite corners of the casing and provided with binding screws for at tachment of supply wires. In practice, the screws 12 and 14' and the conductin strips 13 and 15 are counter-sunk in suita' la base recesses.

The receptacle contacts 2, 3 areillustrated as formed of one piece metal stampings, and

each contact comprises a base portion 16 and an upright reflexed body portion 17 with spaced parallel sides. Said body portion'is provided with 'two limited vertical slots 18 and the metal between the slots is severed at the bend and flared divergingly to provide resilient fingers 20. The contacts 4, 5 on the plug are arranged to enter, between said-flared fingers 20 of the receptacle contacts, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so that electrical contact is made on both sides of each of the plug terminals. Furthermore, such contact is insured over a relatively large area at all times since the two spaced receptacle contact fingers are independently resilient and are biased tog-rip the plug terminals. I

The face plate' 7 has a central substantially rectangular opening 21 immediately in front of the receptacle contacts, and an insulating means is provided to normally close said opening. This means as illustrated, includes an insulating face piece 22 of suitable design having two spaced apertures 23 in alinement with the respective recept'acle contacts and adapted to receive and guide the plug terminals. The innersurface of the member 22 is provided with. a

' rectangular. offset portion 24 fitting, within the plate opening 21 and thus maintaining the closure against angular displacement.

Two additional insulating pieces 25- are 'slidably mounted on the inner face of the member 22 by means of screws 26 which extend through slots 27 in the members 25 and take into threaded taps 28 molded in the piece 22. Said sliding members 25v are also provided withv guiding channels 29 which fit the ofi'set portion 24 and with beveled inner extremities abutting a central lug 30 of the member'22. The members 25 are normally biased together to close the block apertures 23 by means of a coil spring 31 which encircles the closure on the inner side of the face plate 7 and which is seated within a groove '32 of the insulating pieces.

and has a central aperture 33 communicating with opposite 'grooves which lead to binding posts 34 of the plug terminals 4 and 5. Said plug terminals are rigidly secured to the plug by screws counter-sunk in the insulation. The contour of the plug preferably conforms to the contour of the closure plate 22 so that when the parts are united the sides of the plug lie flush with the margins ofthe closur plate whereby the'conducting partsof t e plug-are eflectively insulated from the metallic receptacle cover.

When the attachment terminals 4 and 5 are plugged into the receptacle, the same enter and pass through the closure apertures 23, spread the'be'veled insulating members 25 and respectively wedge between the resilient fingers 20-of the receptacle contacts 2 and 3. The members 25 are, however, still biased together by .the spring 31 and thus grip the sides of the plug terminals with a tendency to retain the latter-against removal. It is to be noted further that the contacting 1 areas of the inter-engaging terminals are relatively; large and that said terminals are efiectively insulated from each other by the receptacle barrier wall 11, so

that the device described is well adapted for use withcurrents of relatively high yalue.

What I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination, aninsulating base havmg an open recess, spaced termlnal contacts mounted in said'recess, a cover plate for said base having an opening registering with said contacts, and a member carried by said plate across said opening and having spaced apertures in alinement'with said contacts and'. removed from vthesides of said plate open1ng. f p

' 2. In combination, an insulating base having an open recess, spaced-terminal contacts mounted in said recess, each contact comprls ng' a base portion and a reflexed body portlon part ally severed and spread at the sides of the severance, a cover plateior said base having an opening registering withsaid contacts; and a member carried bysaid' plate across said opening and having spaced apertures in alinement with said contacts.--

.3. In combination, an insulating base having an open recess, a terminal 'contact mounted 1n said recess, saidcontact comprising a reflexed strlp having an aperture at the pointof bending and its edges about The plug 6 is substantially cup-shaped said aperture divergingly flared, a cover" .plate for said base having a relatively large opening registering with saidcontact, a

. member carried by said plate over said openment with said contacts andremoved from' the sides of said plate opening. W

, 5, In combination, an insulating base having a recess, a pair of terminal contacts mounted insaid recess, a metallic cover plate for said base having an opening registering with'said contacts, an insulatlng 'inember carried by said plate across said opening and having apertures. in alinement with said contacts, and a plurality of insulating members carried by said first mentioned member and normally closing said apertures thereof. 6.. Incombination, an insulating base hav- 1ng an open recess, a pair of terminal contactsmounted in said recess, a metallic cover plate for said base having an opening registering with said contacts, an insulating membercarried by said plate across said opening, a plurality of insulating members slidably mounted on said first mentioned member, and means biasing said second mentioned members togetherv to close said apertures. v 7 In combination, an insulating base havmgjan open recess, a pair of terminal c'onplate for said base having an opening registering with said contacts,, an insulating member carried by said plate across said opening and having apertures inalinement tacts mounted in said recess, a metallic cover with said contacts, a plurality ofinsulating members associated with said first men- I tioned member and relatively movable ,in the planeof said plate, and a coil spring en? circling said members and biasing the same to close said apertures.

8. In combination, an insulating base having a recess, a pair of spaced terminal contacts mounted in said recess, a metallic cover platefor said base having a relatively large opening registering with said contacts, an

acrosssaid opening and having relatively small'apertures in alinement with said contacts and removed from the sides of said plate opening, a plurality of insulating members associated with'said first mentionedmembera nd mpvable relatively thereto for obstruct ng sald apertures thereof, and

'insulatlng member carried by said plate passage therethrough in alinement with each of said contacts, a plurality of insulating members slidably mounted on the inner face of said first mentioned member, each of said members being movable to close one of said 1 passages at its inner end and common means biasing said members tonormally close said passages. I 1

10. In combination, an insulating base having a plurality of spaced recesses, a terminal contact mounted in each of said recesses, ametallic cover plate for said base having an opening registering with all of A said contacts and asingle insulating mem-- ber carried by said plate across said opening and having restricted passages therethrough in alinement with each of said contacts and spaced from the sidespf said plate opening. 11. In combination, an insulating base having a recess, terminal contacts mounted inSaid recess, a metallic face plate for said base having a polygonal opening registering with said contacts, an insulating member carried by said base across said opening and having an oflfset portion 'interfitting with said opening, said member having a passage therethrough in alinement with sald contacts, and a pair of insulating members slidably attached to said oifset portion of said first mentioned member on the inner side of said face plate.

12. In combination, an insulating base having a recess, terminal contacts mounted ln sald recess, a metallic face plate for sald base having a polygonal openlng registering with said contacts, an insulating member carried by said base across said opening and having an ofiset portion interfitting with said opening, said member having passages therethrough inalinement with said contacts, and a pair of insulating members slidably attached to said offset portion of said first mentioned member on the inner side of said face plate and means biasing said members together to close said passages.

lnwitness whereof, I have hereunto" subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses. v

OHARLES J. KLEIN. Witnesses H. Warson, Tum Bas'r. 

